1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of toy projectile launching devices. More specifically, the present invention comprises a projectile launcher which launches a spin-stabilized orb.
2. Description of the Related Art
Toy projectile launchers are commonly used by children for target practice and for war-type games. Projectile launchers come in many forms, such as slingshots, bows, gun-type devices, and a multitude of other devices. Of course, each of those devices typically uses a different type of projectile. For example, a bow uses an arrow as a projectile and a slingshot launches a small round pellet, rock, or water balloon.
In addition, particular launchers are designed to launch different projectiles. As an example, the reader will realize that gun-type projectile launchers are often used to launch a variety of projectiles, including bullets, spherical pellets, cylindrical pellets, and many others. Oftentimes, the type of projectile to be launched decides the mechanism incorporated in the toy launcher. For example, a designer may not employ the same launching mechanism for a flat disk as he or she would for spherical projectile.
Toy projectile launchers currently exist in the art. An example of a projectile launcher is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,089 to Lehman (1977). The Lehman device launches projectiles using a trigger and plunger setup. A similar approach is taken in U.S. Pat. No. 8,336,531 to Fan et al. (2012). In other cases, a device that sprays water may be used as a children's toy.
Oftentimes, the projectile to be launched is fabricated out of a rigid material-such as plastic or wood. A hard projectile material generally assists with the transfer of momentum from the launcher to the projectile, allowing a higher velocity. However, there are obvious safety concerns when dealing with a hard projectile. Thus, toy manufacturers have limitations on the velocity that may be imparted to a hard projectile.
On the other hand, a manufacturer may increase the velocity of a projectile if it is fabricated from a soft and flexible material. Unfortunately, it is typically more difficult to impart a high velocity upon a flexible projectile than it is on a rigid projectile. The deformation of the projectile as the launching mechanism contacts the projectile reduces the momentum transferred to the projectile, thereby reducing the velocity. It is also difficult to stabilize the flight path of a soft projectile. The deformation introduced by the momentum-transferring mechanism tends to remain as the projectile leaves the launcher. This deformation often causes the projectile to tumble in flight. Thus, what is needed is a projectile launcher that (1) limits the reduction of momentum when launching a flexible projectile and, (2) produces a stable flight path for the flexible projectile. The present invention solves this and other problems, as will be described more particularly in the following text.